[Vati]A Reward For Heroism 3
darthcourt10
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Yellowhammer
Roelof_V said:well. he's whipped
Funny you should say that....
A.N. -- And here's the last of this miniarc. Enjoy!
A Reward For Heroism (III)
Malfoy Townhouse, London
August 16th, 2014
"BRANDY, n. A cordial composed on one part thunder-and-lightning, one part remorse, two parts bloody murder, one part death-hell-and-the-grave and four parts clarified Satan." -- Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
Spoiler: A Matter For Celebration
In a explosion of green flames from the fireplace, Lucius Malfoy appeared in the entrance hall of his townhouse. Lucius nodded sharply to his valet while Narcissa appeared behind him. "Goyle! I shall be expecting Arthur Weasley momentarily, when he arrives, bring him directly to my study."
"Of course, sir." Goyle said obsequiously before departing.
Lucius then cast a privacy ward and then smiled at Narcissa. "I'll see you after you talk to your niece then?"
Narcissa kissed him and then adjusted her dress slightly with the help of a nearby mirror. "I need to speak to Nymphadora. She may know if the Aurors have gotten a whiff of trade in the potion ingredients Cousin du Chasteler and Ehren mentioned. Plus any reports of unusual activity, of course. I'll pop back here after I do." She said with her eyes sparkling and eagerness in her voice.
Lucius nodded back. "Good, good. Best to keep this quiet until we get more information. Keeping it inside the family -- and those who will be family soon enough -- is a wise policy. People who don't know the extent of your plans can't reveal them."
Narcissa smirked. "You're in a good mood, Lucius, You really think our son and the du Chasteler girl will wed?"
Lucius leaned on his cane and grinned happily. "I view it as probable with her mother on board. It's cute how they ducked out during her visit to the manor to have a private conversation, and think that we didn't notice." Narcissa gave a matching grin, then the Malfoy patriarch continued in a more serious voice as she began an analysis of the match. "As for Ehren, as I have told you before, she's a very good match for him. For the members of our faction, we just play up the Malfoy link to the du Chastelers and hint that she's pure-blood, certainly her mother can be spun as a witch and her father is now dead so a spot of record changing after a few bribes and then... well."
He chuckled happily before continuing. "As for the more serious future plans, she brings a lot of valuable family ties with the pro-Muggle de Breuils as a nice bonus, as well as her mother's ties to the European Muggles in business and elsewhere. France plans to honor both her mother and her for dealing with Verdun too. The Order of Nostradamus will look good in our family when the Statute falls, plus whatever the Muggles hang on our cousins for being suicidally brave over and over again. Most importantly, Ehren's got guts and knows how to keep her mouth shut." He finished the analysis as Narcissa used her wand to make a tally in the air of a point being scored.
Narcissa smiled and responded in a thoughtful voice, "She's utterly loyal to her word, so her marriage vows with Draco...?"
"Exactly. She's a Malfoy through and through, both loyal to her family and her honor. She won't let Draco wander too far off the straight and narrow when he takes over. If our family's threatened, she is the third most deadly female I have known behind only you and then her mother. Although the de Breuils are formidable too by all accounts." Lucius said with a smug grin.
"Flatterer. Now off with you before Arthur Weasley arrives." Narcissa said with a shooing motion before grabbing the Floo Powder.
------------------
Lucius hummed happily as he reached his study. After a thoughtful pause, his grin widened, and he pulled out one of the bottles of the Sarajishvili 1896 Cognac that Colombe had gifted him and two snifters. He had been waiting for the perfect occasion to uncork this vintage, and the time was at last at hand,
After all, he spoke to himself as he pulled out of his pocket a gold bar that he had borrowed from Niobe to use to persuade Arthur Weasley of the importance of acting on his behalf, if you can't drink to your son's romantic prospects advancing and a few million dollars and thousand Galleons falling into your lap, what can you truly drink to? He laughed and poured himself a snifter full of Russian brandy, admiring the light sparkling through the caramel-colored liquor and breathing the aroma of vanilla, oak, and cinnamon before taking an appreciative sip.
The liquor lit a comfortable fire in his belly and he laughed again as he finished the snifter. Perhaps drinking this bottle was wasteful, but no less wasteful than Colombe sharing that bottle of priceless Armagnac with him as they schemed how to enrich their families and bind their children closer together to the mutual benefit of both. He decided on a refill, and matched actions to thoughts, humming to himself as the liquor splashed merrily in the cut crystal of his favorite snifter.
His hand warmed the liquor nicely, allowing it to emit its intoxicating aroma and a flick of his wand caused a box of Cuban cigars and cutter to float to hover beside him. Narcissa would fuss about the smell of smoke, of course, but he could justify it as celebration over the de Breuil woman's pregnancy resulting in Cousin du Chasteler being an aunt, he decided decisively as he took another sip of the liquor and then cut and lit a cigar. Narcissa was going to go gaga over the addition to the family anyway, so a man was entitled to his pleasures.
------------------
When Arthur Weasley arrived a half-hour later, Lucius was quite mellow and the bottle was empty. Lucius waved genially with the hand holding a half-smoked cigar as he sipped the last of the brandy in a padded chair by the fireplace, "Arthur! Come in, come in! Make yourself at home!" Lucius declared in a jolly and mellow voice.
Arthur stared in disbelief, then walked in a daze to the offered stuffed armchair as Lucius squinted at the emptied bottle. "Bother, that won't do! Goyle, my good man! Bring up the other bottle of Sarajishvili from the cellar now. Chop-chop!" Lucius commanded in that jolly voice.
Arthur sat down gingerly as the valet departed, then rotated the empty bottle to read the Russian label. His eyebrows climbed as he read the date of 1896 on it, then he spoke hesitantly. "Ahh... good day Lucius. Your note said that you needed to see me immediately about a matter of urgency?" His tone of voice suggested either a man finding a ticking bomb, or wondering who slipped the drugs into his afternoon tea.
Lucius nodded drunkenly. "Capital day, Arthur! Capital!" He declared grandly.
Arthur nodded along for lack of anything better to do. "Yes, quite. Your business, Lucius?" He spoke hesitantly, which caused Lucius to light up like a Christmas tree.
"My cousin Colombe, marvelous woman that, called me in on a matter of some importance. She had a run-in with her ex in Africa, beastly business, simply beastly, and came into possession of a large pile of gold that he stole from... somewhere. Bloody Nazis, as bad as Gaunts they are, almost as much a magpie as a Potter. Anyway, she needs a way to turn it in to be properly assayed for a reward, there's a brick of it over there on my desk so you know I'm not trying to knacker you." Lucius exclaimed in that happy jolly voice.
Arthur stood, walked over and retrieved the gold bar, whistling at the weight, then frowning at the eagle and swastika. "Bloody Hell, Lucius. I'll talk to the person I went through at the Mint to get in touch with you; you said there's more?" He sat back down absently with a dazed expression on his face.
Lucius nodded with a broad grin as Goyle appeared with the requested bottle of brandy. "Niobe packed it up in her hold, tons and tons worth. She's going to marry my boy, saw her trying to suck his tonsils out when I went down to the ballroom to speak to him. Draco's getting married to some fine girls, so come on and share a drink with me, Arthur!"
Arthur, finally realizing that the cause of Lucius's unexpected good mood and even more unexpected intoxication was that the little git of his son was getting married allowed a snifter of Russian brandy to be poured for him. "I'll have that drink, Lucius. I can toast your son's happiness if nothing else." Arthur said diplomatically.
"Capital old chap, capital!" Lucius took a large swig of the now-refreshed brandy. "Nothing else today, Goyle! Be a good chap and buy a little something for the missus!" Lucius fished in his pockets, came out with a handful of Galleons, and handed them to the shocked valet. "Arthur can keep me company!"
Arthur desperately wanted to be anywhere but keeping this strange version of Lucius Malfoy company. "Um, so, Lucius. Your cousin married a Nazi?" He said after casting about to find a semi-safe subject and taking a very small sip of his (admittedly excellent) brandy.
"Oh yes, has a daughter with him too. Sweet girl, and she's head over heels for my Draco. Say Arthur, this whole feud thing between our families is stupid, you know. Perhaps it's time to bury the hatchetman, patch up those...wound thingies, formalalize a peace treaty." Lucius's waving arm left a trail of cigar ash on his Turkish carpet as he gestured to punctuate his slurred speech, "You have some strapping young boys and my Nimi's single, perhaps I should see if she has a thing for redheads and is amenable."
Lucius paused to drain his brandy snifter and take a long puff on his cigar. "Oops, I said that out loud didn't I? This is some good brandy, you know, Arthur. Another drink?" He blinked owlishly at the pale-faced Arthur. "Put some color in you, man, so chest up!"
Arthur looked at his barely touched snifter like it had grown fangs and a rattle and spoke firmly. "No thank you, Lucius, I have plenty. Your cousin and the Nazis?"
"They're up to something," Lucius said in a drunkenly serious voice. "But we have their gold. Nazis, Nazis, how'd that tune I heard as a boy go?" He began to hum Colonel Bogey as Arthur just shook his head in disbelief.
-------------------------
Narcissa was greeted by the sound of loud male singing upon arrival.
Very VERY bad singing.
Spoiler: Drunk Lucius Singing
"Hitler has only got one ball~~!"
She marched toward the study as the off-key serenade continued.
"Göring has two but very small~!"
She threw the door open to see Lucius, his face flushed, standing and swaying with a cigar while sloshing liquor on the now-dirtied rug as he sang enthusiastically.
"Himmler is rather sim'lar~! But poor old Goebbels has no balls at all~! C'mon Albert, sing along with me!"
Arthur Weasley looked at Narcissa Malfoy with an expression reserved for prisoners getting a visit from the hangman. Then Lucius' next words caused him to turn white as a sheet.
"Wifey! Great timing!" Lucius hiccuped and stage whispered with a leer. "Where's your Naughty Nurse outfit because Doctor Love is in the house~~!"
Narcissa looked at Arthur Weasley who started to hastily sidle toward the door. She spoke in an icy voice. "Lucius's business is concluded. I'll handle matters now. I suggest you go home."
Arthur fled for his life, pursued by a potent incantation of power, dread, and terror when spoken in earshot of any husband or son.
"LU-CIUS AB-REX-US MAL-FOY!!!"
The Burrow
Molly turned as Arthur Weasley entered the house with a shell-shocked look. "Bad day, dear?"
Arthur responded absently, "Surreal." He walked over and kissed his wife, who frowned slightly at the smell of brandy and cigar smoke on his coat.
"What happened?" Molly asked with concern.
"Lucius Malfoy happened." Arthur said, still in that absent mood. He paused, then continued, "If I ever express interest in five star antique Russian brandies, be a dear and knock some sense into me until I relent from that madness."
Roelof_V said:well. he's whipped
Funny you should say that....
A.N. -- And here's the last of this miniarc. Enjoy!
A Reward For Heroism (III)
Malfoy Townhouse, London
August 16th, 2014
"BRANDY, n. A cordial composed on one part thunder-and-lightning, one part remorse, two parts bloody murder, one part death-hell-and-the-grave and four parts clarified Satan." -- Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
Spoiler: A Matter For Celebration
In a explosion of green flames from the fireplace, Lucius Malfoy appeared in the entrance hall of his townhouse. Lucius nodded sharply to his valet while Narcissa appeared behind him. "Goyle! I shall be expecting Arthur Weasley momentarily, when he arrives, bring him directly to my study."
"Of course, sir." Goyle said obsequiously before departing.
Lucius then cast a privacy ward and then smiled at Narcissa. "I'll see you after you talk to your niece then?"
Narcissa kissed him and then adjusted her dress slightly with the help of a nearby mirror. "I need to speak to Nymphadora. She may know if the Aurors have gotten a whiff of trade in the potion ingredients Cousin du Chasteler and Ehren mentioned. Plus any reports of unusual activity, of course. I'll pop back here after I do." She said with her eyes sparkling and eagerness in her voice.
Lucius nodded back. "Good, good. Best to keep this quiet until we get more information. Keeping it inside the family -- and those who will be family soon enough -- is a wise policy. People who don't know the extent of your plans can't reveal them."
Narcissa smirked. "You're in a good mood, Lucius, You really think our son and the du Chasteler girl will wed?"
Lucius leaned on his cane and grinned happily. "I view it as probable with her mother on board. It's cute how they ducked out during her visit to the manor to have a private conversation, and think that we didn't notice." Narcissa gave a matching grin, then the Malfoy patriarch continued in a more serious voice as she began an analysis of the match. "As for Ehren, as I have told you before, she's a very good match for him. For the members of our faction, we just play up the Malfoy link to the du Chastelers and hint that she's pure-blood, certainly her mother can be spun as a witch and her father is now dead so a spot of record changing after a few bribes and then... well."
He chuckled happily before continuing. "As for the more serious future plans, she brings a lot of valuable family ties with the pro-Muggle de Breuils as a nice bonus, as well as her mother's ties to the European Muggles in business and elsewhere. France plans to honor both her mother and her for dealing with Verdun too. The Order of Nostradamus will look good in our family when the Statute falls, plus whatever the Muggles hang on our cousins for being suicidally brave over and over again. Most importantly, Ehren's got guts and knows how to keep her mouth shut." He finished the analysis as Narcissa used her wand to make a tally in the air of a point being scored.
Narcissa smiled and responded in a thoughtful voice, "She's utterly loyal to her word, so her marriage vows with Draco...?"
"Exactly. She's a Malfoy through and through, both loyal to her family and her honor. She won't let Draco wander too far off the straight and narrow when he takes over. If our family's threatened, she is the third most deadly female I have known behind only you and then her mother. Although the de Breuils are formidable too by all accounts." Lucius said with a smug grin.
"Flatterer. Now off with you before Arthur Weasley arrives." Narcissa said with a shooing motion before grabbing the Floo Powder.
------------------
Lucius hummed happily as he reached his study. After a thoughtful pause, his grin widened, and he pulled out one of the bottles of the Sarajishvili 1896 Cognac that Colombe had gifted him and two snifters. He had been waiting for the perfect occasion to uncork this vintage, and the time was at last at hand,
After all, he spoke to himself as he pulled out of his pocket a gold bar that he had borrowed from Niobe to use to persuade Arthur Weasley of the importance of acting on his behalf, if you can't drink to your son's romantic prospects advancing and a few million dollars and thousand Galleons falling into your lap, what can you truly drink to? He laughed and poured himself a snifter full of Russian brandy, admiring the light sparkling through the caramel-colored liquor and breathing the aroma of vanilla, oak, and cinnamon before taking an appreciative sip.
The liquor lit a comfortable fire in his belly and he laughed again as he finished the snifter. Perhaps drinking this bottle was wasteful, but no less wasteful than Colombe sharing that bottle of priceless Armagnac with him as they schemed how to enrich their families and bind their children closer together to the mutual benefit of both. He decided on a refill, and matched actions to thoughts, humming to himself as the liquor splashed merrily in the cut crystal of his favorite snifter.
His hand warmed the liquor nicely, allowing it to emit its intoxicating aroma and a flick of his wand caused a box of Cuban cigars and cutter to float to hover beside him. Narcissa would fuss about the smell of smoke, of course, but he could justify it as celebration over the de Breuil woman's pregnancy resulting in Cousin du Chasteler being an aunt, he decided decisively as he took another sip of the liquor and then cut and lit a cigar. Narcissa was going to go gaga over the addition to the family anyway, so a man was entitled to his pleasures.
------------------
When Arthur Weasley arrived a half-hour later, Lucius was quite mellow and the bottle was empty. Lucius waved genially with the hand holding a half-smoked cigar as he sipped the last of the brandy in a padded chair by the fireplace, "Arthur! Come in, come in! Make yourself at home!" Lucius declared in a jolly and mellow voice.
Arthur stared in disbelief, then walked in a daze to the offered stuffed armchair as Lucius squinted at the emptied bottle. "Bother, that won't do! Goyle, my good man! Bring up the other bottle of Sarajishvili from the cellar now. Chop-chop!" Lucius commanded in that jolly voice.
Arthur sat down gingerly as the valet departed, then rotated the empty bottle to read the Russian label. His eyebrows climbed as he read the date of 1896 on it, then he spoke hesitantly. "Ahh... good day Lucius. Your note said that you needed to see me immediately about a matter of urgency?" His tone of voice suggested either a man finding a ticking bomb, or wondering who slipped the drugs into his afternoon tea.
Lucius nodded drunkenly. "Capital day, Arthur! Capital!" He declared grandly.
Arthur nodded along for lack of anything better to do. "Yes, quite. Your business, Lucius?" He spoke hesitantly, which caused Lucius to light up like a Christmas tree.
"My cousin Colombe, marvelous woman that, called me in on a matter of some importance. She had a run-in with her ex in Africa, beastly business, simply beastly, and came into possession of a large pile of gold that he stole from... somewhere. Bloody Nazis, as bad as Gaunts they are, almost as much a magpie as a Potter. Anyway, she needs a way to turn it in to be properly assayed for a reward, there's a brick of it over there on my desk so you know I'm not trying to knacker you." Lucius exclaimed in that happy jolly voice.
Arthur stood, walked over and retrieved the gold bar, whistling at the weight, then frowning at the eagle and swastika. "Bloody Hell, Lucius. I'll talk to the person I went through at the Mint to get in touch with you; you said there's more?" He sat back down absently with a dazed expression on his face.
Lucius nodded with a broad grin as Goyle appeared with the requested bottle of brandy. "Niobe packed it up in her hold, tons and tons worth. She's going to marry my boy, saw her trying to suck his tonsils out when I went down to the ballroom to speak to him. Draco's getting married to some fine girls, so come on and share a drink with me, Arthur!"
Arthur, finally realizing that the cause of Lucius's unexpected good mood and even more unexpected intoxication was that the little git of his son was getting married allowed a snifter of Russian brandy to be poured for him. "I'll have that drink, Lucius. I can toast your son's happiness if nothing else." Arthur said diplomatically.
"Capital old chap, capital!" Lucius took a large swig of the now-refreshed brandy. "Nothing else today, Goyle! Be a good chap and buy a little something for the missus!" Lucius fished in his pockets, came out with a handful of Galleons, and handed them to the shocked valet. "Arthur can keep me company!"
Arthur desperately wanted to be anywhere but keeping this strange version of Lucius Malfoy company. "Um, so, Lucius. Your cousin married a Nazi?" He said after casting about to find a semi-safe subject and taking a very small sip of his (admittedly excellent) brandy.
"Oh yes, has a daughter with him too. Sweet girl, and she's head over heels for my Draco. Say Arthur, this whole feud thing between our families is stupid, you know. Perhaps it's time to bury the hatchetman, patch up those...wound thingies, formalalize a peace treaty." Lucius's waving arm left a trail of cigar ash on his Turkish carpet as he gestured to punctuate his slurred speech, "You have some strapping young boys and my Nimi's single, perhaps I should see if she has a thing for redheads and is amenable."
Lucius paused to drain his brandy snifter and take a long puff on his cigar. "Oops, I said that out loud didn't I? This is some good brandy, you know, Arthur. Another drink?" He blinked owlishly at the pale-faced Arthur. "Put some color in you, man, so chest up!"
Arthur looked at his barely touched snifter like it had grown fangs and a rattle and spoke firmly. "No thank you, Lucius, I have plenty. Your cousin and the Nazis?"
"They're up to something," Lucius said in a drunkenly serious voice. "But we have their gold. Nazis, Nazis, how'd that tune I heard as a boy go?" He began to hum Colonel Bogey as Arthur just shook his head in disbelief.
-------------------------
Narcissa was greeted by the sound of loud male singing upon arrival.
Very VERY bad singing.
Spoiler: Drunk Lucius Singing
"Hitler has only got one ball~~!"
She marched toward the study as the off-key serenade continued.
"Göring has two but very small~!"
She threw the door open to see Lucius, his face flushed, standing and swaying with a cigar while sloshing liquor on the now-dirtied rug as he sang enthusiastically.
"Himmler is rather sim'lar~! But poor old Goebbels has no balls at all~! C'mon Albert, sing along with me!"
Arthur Weasley looked at Narcissa Malfoy with an expression reserved for prisoners getting a visit from the hangman. Then Lucius' next words caused him to turn white as a sheet.
"Wifey! Great timing!" Lucius hiccuped and stage whispered with a leer. "Where's your Naughty Nurse outfit because Doctor Love is in the house~~!"
Narcissa looked at Arthur Weasley who started to hastily sidle toward the door. She spoke in an icy voice. "Lucius's business is concluded. I'll handle matters now. I suggest you go home."
Arthur fled for his life, pursued by a potent incantation of power, dread, and terror when spoken in earshot of any husband or son.
"LU-CIUS AB-REX-US MAL-FOY!!!"
The Burrow
Molly turned as Arthur Weasley entered the house with a shell-shocked look. "Bad day, dear?"
Arthur responded absently, "Surreal." He walked over and kissed his wife, who frowned slightly at the smell of brandy and cigar smoke on his coat.
"What happened?" Molly asked with concern.
"Lucius Malfoy happened." Arthur said, still in that absent mood. He paused, then continued, "If I ever express interest in five star antique Russian brandies, be a dear and knock some sense into me until I relent from that madness."